The impact was great! My strength was stable and balanced, but the blow broke the link I had there—the chain holding the whole mouth. How could a dwarf have so much power? I had to stop him. I had invested too much time in this to be defeated by some enraged piece of garbage.
I found it amusing—to see one of the beloved Overlord's followers being crushed by his own people. Then, when that failed, his declarations—that most basic level of brain. But such strength! The finger should have given me an idea. Then exerting so much power on his hammer—something that burst the joints of none other than a dragon, THE Black Dragon—incredible. After that, I had to use more magic, reinforce both hands, make him fall, knock him down with something that took so many of my subjects and turned them into dead pulp. But he got up, kept striking, to the point where both hands were useless. It was time for heavy weapons—the dragon's flames.
These flames were special. They were not like any elemental dragon's. Here, not only was temperature involved; it was truly a weapon of destruction. I remembered seeing those flames damage the great White Dragon long ago... He emerged unharmed! That could not happen. Inside him, not only the flames but the dragons' exclusive magic that disintegrates what it touches would be cooking him from within. But now he jumps and breaks the jaw. Damn! If he had destroyed the brain, I would finally have control of that corpse. That was where what "lived" of the dragon was sheltered. No matter how many parasites I had inserted into its body to eliminate that defense, if it died now, all the magic, everything surrounding the continent would be mine. So much effort would finally be rewarded.
He kept breaking my control links. No one should be able to see them. They were traced with the blood of my vermin—one died, and they spread its skin over the beast's body. Then another went, writing one rune at a time, just one before the dragon's magic cremated them. But even dead, I always required legions of slaves to do this—slow, sure. I was in no hurry. Now a stupid dwarf was destroying them! The links of each arm took over two hundred years; the jaw, half a millennium of careful work. Even though I removed its eyes, it seemed to sense where the invasions came from. It woke its young, one by one, until I could control its waist. So instead of attacking me, they began to serve me—the last ones, some earth dragons that took refuge in the mountain's depths. From there, they decimated their own species. No one could stand against them. And if they were killed, they would be my bone pets. But that did not happen—other dwarves killed those lizards and, using power I did not know they possessed, prevented them from returning. Doing so left him exhausted, and I thought I would finally have total control of his power. After so much invested magic, I would see my reward. But no.
Each blow weakened those runes, made them fall after only two impacts. On such a large creature, I had laid hundreds of control lines. Each control center was being struck, knocking down everything I had worked for, trying to deny me my reward... Did he think so? It was almost dead! In case you did not know, those lines only originate from the center—the spine—where you cannot reach, stupid dwarf. Now, even if it tired me, I would pour my power into that center, eliminate what remained of the dragon's resistance. Once I officially had his power, something as insignificant as a dwarf warrior would be laughable.
What was happening? Why was my power not reaching him? He was draining my strength—I could not contain it. He was above the dragon, but that was not my power center. Who was there?
"I am just collecting the favor I did for you. My power, your malice, your recovered power, my knowledge—new dragon. Thanks to a noble warrior, you just lost this war. In the end, you lived so long you did not understand the intensity of a candle with a burning flame."
The human! The damned Overlord! Something changed—something removed me from the control center. Concentrated on my immediate enemy, I did not see what he did. He was draining me. Was this the end? No! I would not let someone like me disappear! I would cut the soul crystals linking me to the dragon. I would recover my power from all my subjects. I did not care! I would be weak for several years, but I would not make this mistake again. Laugh, stupid Dark Lord—I would draw my power from another source, and I would only have to watch you for a couple more years. Enjoy them.